Folding mechanism.



O. L. JOHNSTON.

FOLDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1910.

Patented May 28, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' mnu guun fla Zarence Z. 07 13 2. 0 1,

m/w M.

c. L. JOHNSTON.

FOLDING MECHANISM. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 24, 1910.

Patented Max 28, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHBBT 2.

'llllllll- Jmnl C. L. JOHNSTON. FOLDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILEDAUG.24, 1910.

Pdte'nted May 28, 1912. 4 SHEETS SHEET 4.

fpi/

' FOLDING nnonamsm.

earner.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

srn ran unto.

CLARENCE L. JOHNSTON, OF EMERYVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE LL Jo n N STON, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Emeryville, in the county of Alameda and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in FoldingMechanism, of which the following is a specifi-,

cation. r

- This invention relates primarily to mechanical movements, and pertainsespecially to a movement suitable for folding or creasing pliablematerial. I

The object of my invention is to devise and provide a novel and valuablemechanism adaptable to various machines and purposes, and which isparticularly usef ulwhere I have practically applied it, in connectionwith the rapid folding of a continuone web of papenin the manufacture ofmani- Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

fold books, sales'check-books and the like.

. It'consists in the combination of parts and details of constructionwhich will be more fully explained by reference to. the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation in partial sections ofa folding and cutting mechanism used in conjunction with a printingpress and to which the invention is a iplied.

1g. 3 is a cross-section through the stock feeding and foldingmechanism. Fig. tshows a folded leaf. Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinalsectional view line m-m Fig. 6, showing the new movement. Fig. 6 is across-section Fig. 5. Fig. 7 illustrates the slot-ted table, with thefolder in another posit-ion. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view, representingthe successive positions of the folder immediately preceding and at thetime of folding. In the manufacture of sales check-books, and manifoldbooks the rapidity of the travel of the paper. and the complicated andinvolved press on which the webs. for the books are printed renders itdesirable to devise a reliable, effective mechanism whereby the papermay be regularly and evenly folded-while the press is operatingatfigre'at speed. I have provided a mechanism ,which accomplishes thisresult and haveishown it incorporated with a paper perforating andcutting attachment having a suitable frame A, secured to standards Bprinted the folder mechanism.

The web C, Fig. 3, is guidedover an adjustable spacing roller 2 and feedrollers 45, from which it passes between perforating and cuttingcylinders Band 7 -carrying perforating and cutting devices 8 and 9. fterpassing between the perforating cylinders 6 and 7, the web Crests upon aplaten or flat table 10 held by transverse ties 11 0f the frame A. At anappropriate point. the table is transversely slit as at 13 and abovethis slit is mounted the mechanical movement which forms the principalfeature of the invention and constitutes the folding device. The devicecomprises a lengthwise slotted cylinder 17 a folding blade 14, Figs. 3,5 and 6, detachably fastened in a rod 15 in and extending lengthwise ofcylinder 17 and revolving eccentricallyin the heads 16 of the cylinder17. The rod or shaft 15 not only is carried by the cylinder 17 but ithas a revolving movement independent of the cylinder 17 as will bedescribed. These heads 16 have stub shafts 'jou rnaled in bushings l8and 19; one of which 18, is held in a stationary internal gear 20 heldfixedly in the frame A. Theother bushing 19, is held in the other sideof the frame A. A pinion 22 on :shaft 15 meshes the internal gear 20.The cylinder 17 is revolved by means of'power applied Patented May as,19121. Applieation filed August 24, 191$. Serial No. 578,750.

to a gear 21 on the stub shaft 16. Since the I internal gear 20 cannotrevolve and the cylinder 17 is driven. around by the gear 21 secured tothe stub shaft 16 of the head 16, the blade 1 1 revolves inside cylinder17; but at each complete revolution of the latter it is thrust radiallyoutward througlr the peripheral longitudinal slot 17 to dmthe folding,as will be described. The pinion 22 is one half the diameter of thefixed internal gear 20; thus asthe cylinder 17 revolves once on its ownaXis,.t-he shaft 15 and'folder 14 is turned twice in a-directionopposite to the direction of rotation of the cylinder. The

result is that the blade 14; is at every revo, lution of the cylinderprojected through the slot 17 in the cylinder, and through the a, Fig.3, and carry it down to a suitable packer 26, Fig. l operated byjaconnection aslever 28 and rod 29 with a crank 30 onthe shaft 31 of thecylinder 6.

The front lip or edge of slot 13 is turned slot 13 in the table l0 topress a section of upwardly as shown at 13 Fig. 7, and the rear. edge orlipWE-flirn'ed downwardly as positions shown in Fig. 6 it projectsvertishown at 13*, so' that the paper or web. as it is fed toward thefolding cylinder 17 is first thrown upward against the cylinder and madeto bridge over the slot 13 without catching in the slot; the downwardlycurved lip 13 on the opposite side assisting to prevent the papercatching and buckling.

The cylinder 17 is driven by power derived from the press by a shaft 32geared. at to the shaft 31, which is geared to drive wheel 21.

Referring especially to Figs. 6 8 it is to be observed that the peculiarrelations of the folder It to the fixed internal gear 520 has the effectof compelling the edge of the folder to constantly move in a plane of adiameter of the cylinder 17; in this instance being the verticaldiameter in line with slot 13 in the table. In other words, the plane ofthe slot 13 the locus of the edge of the folder. lVhen the folder is inthe vertical a fixed internal gear to which is secured one of saidbushings, a shaft eccentrically journaled in the cylinder, a pinionsecured on said last-named shaft and meshing with the fixed gear, afolding blade secured to the last named shaft and adapted to beprojected through the cylinder, a throat plate disposed beneath therotary cylinder, a paper feeding mechanism, and a device interposedbetween said rotary cylinderand the feeding mechanism for perforatingand cutting the paper in suitable lengths.

E2. The combination in a paper folding machine, of a rotary cylinderlongitudinally slotted in its periphery, shafts attachel to the ends ofsaid cylinder, removable bush ings supporting said shafts, a changespeed driving gear attached to one of said shafts, a fixed internal gearto which is secured one of said bushings, a shaft eccentricallyjournaled in the cylinder, a pinion secured on said last-named shaft andmeshing with the fixed gear, a folding blade secured to the last-namedshaft and adapted to be projected through the cylinder, a throat platedisposed beneath the rotary cylinder, a paper feeding mechanism, and adevice interposed bctween said rotary cylinder and the feeding mechanismfor perforating and cutting the paper in suitable lengths, said deviceincluding a cylinder carryingacutter and a perforator.

3. The combination in a paper folding machine, of a rotary cylinderlongitudinally slotted in its periphery, shafts attached to the endsofsaid cylinder, removable bushings supporting said shafts, a change speeddriving gear attached. to one of said shafts, a fixed internal'gear towhich is secured one of said bushings, a shaft eccentrically journaledin the cylinder, a pinion secured on said last named shaft and meshing.with the fixed gear, a folding blade secured to the last-named shaft andadapted to be pro jected through the cylinder, a throat plate callybeyond the cylinder. As the cylinder 17 turns in the direction of thearrow 7) the blade is carried gradually to dotted position c, thenceto(Z, thence to c and finally to the full line folding position again, asshown diagrannnatically in Fig. 8. The edge of the folder during thefirst half of the revolution of cylinder 17 moving up. on the diametralline m m and then during the second half moving down again; the edgealways being in this line so that it acts'like a verticallyreciprocating folding blade to press squarely down on the paper to foldit through slot 13 without any brushing or sweeping effect as mightnaturally be expected of a rotary memb'er acting on a sheet having arectilinear movement.

In operation a web C is fed from the cylinders 6 and 7 over table 10- toa pro-determined distance and then the folding blade 14 will descend,and depress the paper through the slot 113 pushing it well down so thatit will be engaged by the tapes 23, the free end a of the web beingdrawn backward. At the disposed beneath the rotary cylinder, a paproperinstant. the cutter 9 Wlll sever the per feeding mechanism, and a deviceinterweb between the rollers 6 and 7, and the folded sheet a, (Fig. 4)will be drawn down tapes and packed by the member 26, tig. 1.

If desired the web may be perforated along the line where it is to befolded, by the perforat-or 8.

Having thus described my invention, what claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. The combination in a paper folding machine, of arotary cylinder longitudinally slotted in its periphery, shafts attachedto the ends of said cylinder, removable bnshings supporting said shafts,a change speed driving gear attached to one of said shafts,

posed between said rotary cylinder and the feeding mechanism forperforating and cutting the paper in suitable lengths, said deviceinclnding a cylinder carrying a cutter and a perforator, theaforementioned throat plate extending close to the line of operative,position of said cutter and designed to-receive and guide the severedpaper.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CLARENCE L. JOHNSTON. lVitnesses i A. MACKENZIE, BARBARA Trronras.

